Returning and Reacquiring
by half-goddess-Katia
Summary: It took nearly three years, but Eiji finally found a way to bring Ankh back. Things didn't quite go as he had hoped though. Spoilers through 48. Slight Ankh/Eiji
1. The Beginning

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kamen Rider OOO, and I am making no money off of this. This is solely for my own and other's entertainment.

**AN:** My muse handed me this little project last night. It'll be at least 2-3 chapters (not 100% sure yet as, even though I know what I want to happen, I don't know exactly how long it'll take).

**Warnings:** Spoilers through 48. Lost of angst (at least for poor Eiji, you'd think I'd get tired of torturing the poor man). Shonen-ai (Ankh/Eiji) though not active at the moment.

_**Returning and Reacquiring: The Beginning**_

Eiji sighed as he watched the blonde male in front of him become reacquainted with the room they had shared for over a year. After searching and traveling for nearly two years, hardly stopping to rest for fear he'd miss something, he had managed to stumble across his solution. He'd managed to find _the_ book, one of the few copies of the book that the alchemists had used to create the Core Medals in the first place. He'd gotten lucky enough that the elderly gentleman who now owned it was someone he'd helped during his travels before, and the guy had remembered Eiji and was willing to make photocopies of all the pages as thanks. He had even managed to find someone to translate it, though the person had believed it was simply for some kind of research paper. It had taken him longer to find the ingredients and ship them into Japan where he knew Hina-chan and Shingo-san would keep them safe. All in all, it was closing in on three years before he had everything set.

He had managed it though, and the brunette had returned to Japan to complete the ritual needed to fix the Taka medal and create a Kujaku and a Condor along with some cell medals so the blonde might be able to form his own body. It had been hard work, but it had been worth it. Unfortunately, things hadn't quite gone as planned.

**Flashback**

Eiji couldn't help but grin as he watched the red light fade, leaving a tall, blonde, male form behind. He simply took in the sight of his lover standing there, _alive_, for one long moment before he said quietly, "Ankh."

What the brunette didn't expect was for the blonde to scan the room before turning to him with a distant, wary look in his eyes. Then the other male simply demanded, "Who are you?"

And Eiji felt his world shatter again.

**End Flashback**

Eiji had called in Hina-chan and Shingo-san after that, and, after some prying, they managed to figure out that Ankh's last memory was form the last moments before he was sealed over 800 years ago. The three of them told Ankh about the year he'd lived after – most of it at least, Eiji kept their full relationship a secret for now – and, though the blonde had been skeptical at first, it had been impossible to ignore certain facts – such as Ankh's resemblance to Shingo, Eiji's possession of the OOO driver, and Eiji's knowledge about Ankh's past, about what it was like to become a Greeed, and about the workings in the blonde's own mind. In the end, Ankh had remained wary but had listened and acknowledged that if things had played out like they'd explained – though he remained _most_ skeptical about the end as the blonde believed he'd _never_ do something like that – then the memory loss, whether temporary or permanent, was entirely possible.

Which brought him to where he was now. Hina-chan had suggested letting Ankh wander around the café while it was closed to see if the familiar settings would trigger any memories, and Eiji had accompanied him, watching the blonde wander around and rediscover the place they had both considered home.

There was a moment of complete silence, and Eiji suddenly realized Ankh was now staring at him as he watched the blonde. Eiji smiled, trying to offset the tension a bit, and then Ankh demanded, "What are you smiling at?"

The brunette's smile faltered for a moment before he caught it and fixed it to his face so firmly it almost hurt before he answered, "Nothing."

Ankh scoffed before saying, "You really are an idiot."

Eiji barely managed to excuse himself and get himself into one of the small, private storage rooms no one ever really used anymore before he broke down. Those familiar words delivered in that condescending tone – one he hadn't heard since the very beginning, back before they had known each other so well – was the final nail in the coffin. He'd finally, _finally_, brought Ankh back only to lose him in an entirely different way. Eiji couldn't be entirely sure he hadn't been better off searching and hoping, and he hated himself and the world just a little bit because of it.

_**Ankh's POV**_

As he walked around the room, Ankh couldn't deny that the place – and the people – felt familiar. It was frustrating mostly because he definitely didn't remember meeting them or anyone like them. That frustrating feeling of familiarity was strongest with the brunette currently in the room with him.

Glancing back at the brunette, Ankh saw that the other male was still staring vacantly at him, obviously lost in thought much like he had been for the last hour. Tired of being watched, Ankh stared hard at the brunette – Eiji his mind supplied – until he has him start, obviously having just realized he'd been caught staring.

The obviously fake smile the brunette shot him hurt for reasons he couldn't understand, and, in an effort to stop both the smile and the hurt, Ankh snapped, "What are you smiling at?"

Ankh watched the smile slip for a split second before it was back, more fake and more painful than before. "Nothing," Eiji replied, and Ankh could _feel_ the strain in the other's voice.

Fine, if the brunette wanted to keep faking then Ankh would let him. It was none of his business, no matter what his instincts kept screaming at him. Scoffing to hide his slight indecision, Ankh simply said, "You really are an idiot."

Ankh almost took back the words as he watched something flash through the brunette's eyes. Instead, he turned his back on the other male and listened as he excused himself and left quickly. Telling himself he didn't care – _couldn't_ care – the blonde continued to explore the small house, firmly suppressing the small voice telling him to go after the brunette and ignoring the small pain that had suddenly bloomed in his chest.


	2. The Confrontation

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kamen Rider OOO, and I am making no money off of this. This is solely for my own and other's entertainment.

**AN:** Here's chapter 2! I hope you all are enjoying this little project (though chapter 2 ended up much longer than I expected). Please look forward to the next chapter as well!

**Warnings:** Spoilers through 48. Lost of angst (at least for poor Eiji, you'd think I'd get tired of torturing the poor man). Shonen-ai (Ankh/Eiji) though not active at the moment.

_**Returning and Reacquiring: The Confrontation**_

It had only been a week, and Eiji was already ready to leave and start traveling again. The only thing keeping him in Japan was the fear that, if he left, then Ankh might just disappear again. It hurt so much more than he'd ever imagined, though, to have Ankh forget him, but Eiji would rather be there so he could at least _see_ the other male, know he was still there – still _alive_.

Sometimes, though, it became too much, so he would escape to the park closest to the café to sit beneath the trees, but he _never_ left for more than an hour or two, couldn't bring himself to stay away that long. That was where he was now, sitting beneath a tree and trying to put his mask back together again, trying to stop the onslaught of emotions he wasn't sure he could take anymore.

_**Ankh's POV**_

It had been a week since he'd been revived, and Ankh was more confused than he'd ever been before. Not about where he was, it was comfortable and familiar enough that he'd decided to make his nest there for now. He wasn't confused about the people either, though they were unusual it wasn't anything he couldn't adapt to given time. No, the only thing he was confused about was Eiji.

The damn brunette had kept up the happy idiot façade since he had arrived, and, though Ankh thought the pretense was incredibly obvious, the others seemed to mostly take it at face value. They smiled and joked and asked Eiji about the places he'd visited while traveling – which he'd evidently been doing for a while, though the brunette avoided the question of why whenever it was brought up – and not a single damn one of them seemed to realize they were being fooled masterfully. It frustrated Ankh for reasons he didn't understand, and that, in turn, made him more irritable. It didn't help that he had now idea _how_ he knew, there were no outwards signs after all, but he _knew_ just as he knew there was something that they weren't telling him.

If he took what they had told him to be the truth – which he did mostly now, it just _felt_ like the truth – then he knew, without knowing how he knew, that parts of the whole story were missing. It frustrated the _hell_ out of him because it felt like he had all but the one key piece to the puzzle, the one piece that would make everything else make sense, and he knew that that one piece had involved Eiji. He'd tried demanding answers from the others, but, despite their willingness to tell him pretty much anything else about that year, they were all surprisingly tight-lipped at that, subtly – or, in some cases, out right – telling him he should ask Eiji about that.

So, after a week of having his questions dodged, enough was enough. He was tired of feeling like he was missing a crucial piece of information, so he decided to hunt down the brunette to get his answers. A quick look in the main portion of the café told him that Eiji wasn't there, and the blonde knew he wasn't anywhere else in the building. That just left the park. He'd seen the brunette heading in that direction every other day or so, and he never came back with supplies so it seemed logical that the other male stopped there for one reason or another.

Jumping out the second story window, Ankh landed lightly, crouching to soften the impact, before straightening up and heading in the direction he'd seen Eiji take before at a brisk pace. Ankh let his feet guide him, walking familiar yet foreign paths by instinct rather than conscious thought, and it didn't take long before he saw a familiar form sitting at the base of a tree. He was about to call out to the brunette when he suddenly noticed the other's body language – knees drawn up to his chest, shoulders hunched and tense with arms wrapped around his legs, and head hanging low, bangs hiding his face – and paused. This…was not what he'd expected. Ankh had known the brunette had been hiding beneath his smiles, but he hadn't expected this level of pain and sadness.

Ankh frowned. This…just wasn't right. That damn voice was screaming in his head again, telling him to go over there and _do something_, and, for once, Ankh complied. After all, enough was enough and the time for dodged questions and painfully fake smiles was over. He _would_ get his answers _now_ whether Eiji liked it or not.

Ankh took one deliberate step forward, no longer trying to be quiet, and was gratified to see the other male start, obviously broken out of whatever stupor he'd been in.

_**Gen/Both POV**_

Eiji sighed. He probably really needed to get back soon. He had stepped out while it had been slow, but he knew it would probably be getting busier soon. Plus, he _really_ didn't like being away from the blonde for very long – it was, after all, the main reason he hadn't gone traveling again.

Eiji was just about to push himself up when he heard the crunch of someone stepping on the uneven ground nearby, and his head shot up, eyes wide as they landed on the person he'd least wanted to see him like this. Suddenly remembering the tear tracks that were sure to be evident on his fact, Eiji brought up the cuff of his sleeve to scrub at his face before turning to smile at the blonde.

"Stop that," Ankh snapped, and Eiji just stared at him, confused because he hadn't thought he'd done anything.

Scowling at his obvious confusion, Ankh continued irritably, "Stop that damn fake smiling. The others may not notice, but I do and it's really starting to piss me off."

Shocked now, the smile fell off Eiji's face as he continued to stare at the blonde. After a moment, Eiji managed to choke out, "How?"

Ankh's scowl deepened as he stalked over to lean against the same tree, and then he replied, "I have no idea. I just _know_, and I don't know how. Just like I _know_ that no one is telling me something that will explain it, something they keep telling me _you _should tell me, and it's all _really_ starting to piss me off."

Eiji stared at the blonde for another long moment before turning to stare straight ahead as he asked, "What do you want to know?"

"What was it like?" Ankh asked, and, realizing how vague the question sounded, he was about to explain when he was unexpectedly cut off.

"We were…very close," Eiji muttered, not seeing Ankh's shock at his understanding. Picking his words carefully, the brunette continued, "I know that you were the one person I've been closest to in a long time, and you always seemed to know what I was thinking. It could be annoying sometimes, but, usually, it was quite nice. I believe it was the same for you as I seemed to be able to tell what you were thinking or planning. We could trust each other because of that."

"Couldn't have been much considering the way things ended," Ankh interjected gruffly, but he was brought up short by the small smile that suddenly appeared on Eiji's face. It wasn't much, but it was the most genuine smile Ankh had yet seen on the brunette and the difference it made was startling.

"No, we both knew it would probably come to that. I didn't like it, and I had hoped it wouldn't happen even if I did expect it. I knew, though, that I could still trust you, and you obviously felt the same since you felt you were able to come back without explanation. We obviously didn't always agree, some of our 'disagreements' were rather spectacular actually, but we could still believe each other," Eiji explained, not noticing his or Ankh's expressions.

"There's more," Ankh stated quietly – he _knew_ there was in the same way he'd known how to find Eiji in the park.

Eiji flinched slightly as he muttered, "I don't know if you'll believe me." Feeling the blonde's eyes turn to stare at him, Eiji sighed and asked, "Are you sure you want to know?"

Ankh just nodded, oddly unwilling to interrupt the brunette.

Bracing himself, Eiji said, "We…were lovers, had been for months before you died. We were also…well, I think we may have also been falling in love, especially right near the end when you were becoming more and more human. That was actually why I spent the three years after your death searching for a way to fix your Taka medal…to bring you back." Catching sight of the blonde's surprised expression, he commented, "I never mentioned that did I?"

"I don't…I…" Ankh trailed off, shaking his head and completely thrown by the unexpected answer, yet he could tell that the other male was finally giving him the full truth.

Eiji spoke up before he could get any further by saying, "I know, it's fine. Mostly, I'm just glad you're back safely so don't worry. I didn't really expect things to just go back to the way they were before, so I'll be fine."

Ankh could feel the lie in the other male's words, but, for once, he couldn't bring himself to call the other out on it.

"Anyway," Eiji said, forced cheer coloring his voice, "we'd better get back to the café. Chiyoko-san will need help for the next rush soon."

Ankh just frowned and nodded, following the other male back to the café in silence. Well, he had his answers, and now the blonde just had to figure out what the hell he was going to do with them…what he was going to do now that he'd been unexpectedly handed the brunette's heart.


	3. The Memories

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kamen Rider OOO, and I am making no money off of this. This is solely for my own and other's entertainment.

**AN:** Chapter 3! Only one more to go it seems. Enjoy!

**Warnings:** Spoilers through 48. Mentions of shonen-ai (Ankh/Eiji)

_**Returning and Reacquiring: The Memories**_

That night, for the first time he could remember, Ankh dreamed. He didn't dream of any one event in particular, but rather a collage of images, moments, and sounds that somehow managed to form one cohesive whole. He dreamt of the Medals and the Greed as they were before, of handing Medals and seal over to a man he'd just met. He dreamt of arguments fueled by stubborn personalities, of moments that had been so ridiculous and frustrating yet hilarious later on. He dreamt of working with another, trusting him as he hadn't trusted anyone before. He dreamt of a caring voice, of a hand extended to help. He dreamt of fear and pain that went hand in hand with joy and laughter. He dreamt of warmth both physical and not. All in all, he dreamt of Eiji, things the brunette had said and done that had led to who he was before to love the man who had stood next to him.

Ankh awoke the next morning feeling more confused and – though he'd never admit it – scared than he could ever remember feeling before. Without thinking about what he was doing, Ankh stalked silently over to the window and let himself out. It was still early, the sun hadn't fully risen over the horizon yet, so there was no one around to watch him as he leapt up and then from roof to roof, seeking higher ground and clearer air so that he might be able to clear his head.

He ended up at the top of some hill or other, and, by the time he had settled, the sun had fully risen and people could be seen on the streets down below. Taking a deep breath, Ankh calmed himself and tried to think rationally again. That odd, overwhelming dream he'd had had definitely been composed of some of his missing memories – the blonde even recognized a few from what he'd been told – there was no doubt in his mind about that, and, really, he should've expected _something_ after the revelations of the previous afternoon.

What the hell was he supposed to do about it all anyway? It wasn't like he could act like it hadn't happened, not now that he had those memories in his head – soft touches, hushed whispers, smiles, and warmth that went deeper than the purely physical – and he had a feeling that those were just the tip of the iceberg. He also couldn't avoid Eiji forever, he knew that even if his first instinct was to _get out_. Closing his eyes in an effort to shut everything else out so he could just _think_, Ankh didn't even notice when he slipped seamlessly into sleep and straight into a dream.

"You're an idiot," Ankh heard a strangely familiar voice state, irritation clear in his voice.

Opening his eyes, Ankh found himself face-to-fact with a carbon copy of himself scowling down at him. Glancing around, he realized that they were in a different part of the park he'd found Eiji in yesterday. Looking back at his doppelganger, Ankh simply asked, "This is a dream isn't it?"

Giving him a look that clearly repeated his previous statement, his doppelganger said, "Of course, otherwise I couldn't be standing here in front of you."

"You're that damn voice in my head that keeps shouting at me," Ankh accused as sudden realization dawned on him. "Who the hell are you?"

The look the other blonde was giving him didn't change as he answered, "I'm you. More specifically, I'm the part of you that still remembers everything, so, yeah, I was the one shouting at you from inside your head."

Scowling at the other male, Ankh snapped, "So what the _hell_ do you want? You keep yapping in my ear without telling me what I can do to shut you up."

The other blonde's eyes flashed for a moment before he had Ankh's lapels in his curled fists and was pressing him up against the tree as he snapped, "You need to stop being such a fucking coward."

Temper flaring in turn, Ankh grabbed the other male's arms in what should've been a bruising grip as he growled, "What the hell are you talking about?"

Snorting in disgust, the other blonde pushed away from him and stood with one hip cocked and arms crossed as he answered, "You know damn well what I'm talking about. That avoidance bullshit you pulled with Eiji. You knew something wasn't right, you knew from the beginning, but, instead of trying to delve into your memories or even just fucking asking, you pull this avoidance act to the point where every-fucking-body was telling you to man-up and talk to him."

Ankh opened his mouth to reply, but he couldn't form a retort because, god damn it, the other male was right. Instead he snapped, "You say that like it's so easy, but you aren't any better. I don't exactly remember you pouring your heart out or being Mr. Grace and Acceptance."

He saw something flash across the other's – his own – face before it was replaced by a sneer, "I am you or have you managed to forget that already? Besides, that's exactly _why_ I'm telling you to start moving your ass before things go to shit again. We already made that mistake once and nearly lost the chance completely. I don't want to watch myself make the same mistake twice, especially when I know how it worked out for both parties last time."

Startled by the change, Ankh asked cautiously, "What happened?"

His other self looked away, and Ankh saw the same look flash across his face again, only this time he recognized it as…pain. Then Ankh was distracted again as the other blonde started speaking, "When we died…well, Eiji didn't handle it well to say the least. He barely waited long enough to heal before he started out, and that was mostly so he could earn a bit more money to travel with. When he said he spent those three years traveling to find a way to bring us back he wasn't exaggerating. He only stopped when he had to earn money or help others, and even then he never stopped more than a couple of days. Eiji very literally ran himself ragged for three years just to bring us back."

Stunned, Ankh stammered out, "But how…why?"

The other blonde smiled sympathetically and answered, "I know because we followed him, we didn't feel right about moving on until he was okay again. Obviously he never was. As for why, the reasons were the same for us as they were for him. Though neither of us said it aloud, we both knew we were falling. We left it alone because there was so little time an because I…you…we, whatever, were too stubborn, especially right at the very end."

Ankh thought for a moment then asked, "So, we were really…" He couldn't quite form the words, the idea was just so foreign – so _human_ – that he couldn't imagine it. Then again, so were the concepts of self-sacrifice and death, and he had obviously gone through those.

His other self's lips twitched in amusement as he answered, "In love, yes. I'm still not sure how it happened, but it did. We love Eiji, and by some miracle he loves our stubborn, bitchy self right back."

After another moment, Ankh snorted as he muttered, "We're all idiots." The other blonde just nodded in amusement, and there was another pause before Ankh asked, "So how _do_ I get everything back?"

The other blonde rolled his eyes at him and turned to walk away as he answered, "You just have to want to remember. If you go looking, thinking back, you'll find it all easily enough."

"Two more things," Ankh called a little louder as the other male began to walk away. "How do I know _I_ won't just disappear into the background if I remember it all? And how the hell do I know this isn't just some really weird dream?"

Ankh could _hear_ the eye roll this time as the blonde called back over his shoulder, "We may have become more human, but we didn't change _that_ much. You're still you even if you have those memories; you just care a bit more. Also, of course this is a dream, you're talking to _yourself_ after all. Doesn't mean that the advice is any less right, should make you trust it more as a matter of fact."

With that, the other blonde was gone, and, the next thing Ankh knew, he was opening his eyes to be greeted by mid-day sunlight on the hill where he'd first settled to think. Well, he had some of the answers he'd been looking for along with some he hadn't been. Now he just had to listen to his own advice and start digging up his memories.

It took longer than he thought it would. Ankh spent the rest of that day, not stopping until he was too tired to think anymore, and all of the next day to get everything back. In the end, though, he had it, and he had all his answers. Now he just needed to go talk to the useful idiot again.


	4. The Conclusion

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kamen Rider OOO, and I am making no money off of this. This is solely for my own and other's entertainment.

**AN:** And it's done. Let me know what you guys think!

**Warnings:** Spoilers through 48. A bit of Ankh/Eiji thrown in there for good measure ^_^

_**Returning and Reacquiring 4: The Conclusion**_

The café was long closed by the time Ankh returned, but the blonde found the front doors still unlocked and a single light on in the kitchen. Wondering if it was Eiji, the blonde walked over to look in, and he found Hina sitting at the table, face buried in her hands with her elbows on the table. Ankh debated just heading up to check the attic when Hina's head shot up, eyes locking on him, and the choice was taken from him.

"Ankh," she exclaimed, "where have you been? We've all been worried about you, Eiji-kun especially."

Ignoring her question for now, Ankh frowned as he demanded, "Where is the idiot anyway? I figured he'd still be up."

Hina paused, thrown a bit by his tone. Ankh sounded much like he had near the end, back before he'd died. It was a subtle shift, nothing she could put into words, but it was there all the same and gave her a bit of hope. Cautious though, she answered slowly, "Eiji-kun is upstairs. He hasn't been sleeping or eating very much the last week and not at all since you disappeared yesterday. Date-san finally tricked him into taking something to knock him out, and he's been asleep for the last couple of hours."

Ankh frowned at that bit of information before he turned to head upstairs, but he was brought up short when Hina said quietly, "Whatever you decided to do about Eiji-kun, just…please be gentle. He cares about you so much, and he's been so worried about you."

Ankh just grunted to let her know he'd heard her and continued on his way. As if he'd needed to be told that, he already knew Eiji cared and worried, and he wasn't going to do anything cruel damn it. But…the woman did have a right to be concerned considering everything. Sighing a bit to himself, Ankh pushed open the door to their room and shut it behind himself again as he walked silently over to where Eiji lay and sat beside the sleeping brunette.

Running one hand through the other male's hair, Ankh took in his pale skin and the dark circles beneath the other male's eyes before he sighed again. "You idiot," Ankh muttered under his breath, and he was surprised when the brunette stirred a bit and opened bleary eyes.

"Ankh?" Eiji muttered, slurring the name just a bit as he struggled to focus on the figure beside him.

"It's me," Ankh confirmed. "You tried to do something stupid again didn't you?"

Eiji blinked in surprised at the familiar words before he visibly pushed them aside and answered, smiling a bit, "Kind of…"

Frowning, Ankh pulled his hand from Eiji's hair and rapped the brunette lightly on the forehead as he admonished, "You idiot. You shouldn't have, especially after pushing yourself so hard already. I was never going to leave for good, I just had to think and give myself a figurative kick in the ass."

Eiji just stared at him for a moment before he asked, hope so audible in his voice it was almost painful, "And?"

Ankh rolled his eyes a bit before he answered gruffly, "I've remembered everything, and I'm _here_ aren't I?"

The brunette just continued to stare at him as he asked, forcing the words out even as he drifted, "Does that mean…?"

Ankh couldn't help the small smile that formed as he answered, "Yeah, things can go back to normal now, the way they used to be…maybe better than before now."

Eiji's face broke into his own sleepy smile as he muttered, "I'm glad."

Ankh sat there for a bit longer, hand moving to run through Eiji's hair again, until he thought the brunette was asleep again. He was about to stand to move to his own bed, but he was halted when he felt arms wrap firmly around his middle and Eiji's voice mutter, "Stay?"

"Alright," the blonde answered, kicking his boots off to have them land on the floor. "I'll stay."

Eiji mumbled something inaudible as he snuggled further into Ankh and drifted back to sleep. Ankh himself just shook his head as he watched the other male finally fall fully asleep, settled now that things were mostly back the way they were supposed to be. They would have to talk in the morning, and there were sure to still be disagreements in their future – it was impossible for there not to be considering their personalities. For now, though, everything was perfect, and they could both rest, content in the knowledge that no matter what came their way they'd be able to find a way around or through it…together.


End file.
